Park Avenue 1, Vauxhall Motors 0: Avenue kick-started their season with a fine but hard-earned victory over third-placed Vauxhall Motors in the UniBond Premier Division on the artificial beach that is Horsfall Stadium's playing surface.

Trevor Storton's men have been frustrated in their attempts to recapture their early-season form because of the football calendar being decimated by the severe winter.

At one time they stood a proud second in the table but they went into their home game against the Merseysiders in eighth place and in danger of slipping out of the top half altogether.

"This was a big win for us and it should help the confidence of the players," said Storton, who has seen his charges struggle to regain match fitness after the amount of postponements.

"It could have been easier but again we have had some poor decisions from the officials. We have had a goal ruled out and a strong penalty claim denied, but we have won the game and it's a welcome three points.

"The players looked a lot sharper than they have after all the games being off but I don't think you will see the best of them on a pitch like this. It's not good and teams like us and Vauxhall like to get the ball down and play it around. That's impossible at the moment."

The victory was sweeter because Storton had to re-shuffle his defence. Centre back James Stansfield limped out of the Marine game at half-time and will miss almost a month with ankle damage.

Graham Mitchell was the only towering figure in the back three that Storton reverted to.

Skipper Wayne Benn dropped out of the midfield to play alongside Mitchell and was immense.

The winner came in the 70th minute when Andy Wright pounced to head home a cross from Richard Tracey. It was one of few real chances in the game.

The home side nearly doubled their lead when Jason Maxwell headed a fraction wide 15 minutes from time and almost five minutes of stoppage time made it a tense finish but the Bradford side held on.